It is a luxury, a marvel and a pleasure - to hold an architectural wonder in our hands, and use it to light a Cuban cigar. As Napoleon said, and luxury goods brand S.T. Dupont proves, "Nothing is impossible for the French".
S.T. Dupont has released yet another limited edition set of lighters, writing instruments and ashtrays, this time inspired by Paris' iconic Place Vend*me. The square, which is the starting point for Rue de la Paix, was commissioned by Louis XIV to celebrate his victorious army. Work on it began in 1702, under the boastful name of Place des Conqu*tes, swiftly revised to the slightly more modest Place Louis le Grand when the conquests stopped.
The octagonal place, designed by the same architect as the Palace of Versailles, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, emphasizes flawless symmetry.
Now, the fa*ade with its huge archways, sandstone walls, chic windows and strong Roman columns are captured by S.T. Dupont on their limited edition lighters.
The Place Vend*me Ligne 2, shaped like the Vend*me column with gray contemporary lacquer on the cap, Palladium finishing and four deep-set shiny gray hematite stones on the body representing the windows, allows respectable gentlemen to light up their life with a click roller.
The column itself was erected by Napoleon in 1810 to celebrate his victory at Austerlitz - the battle between France and the coalition of Britain, Russia and Austria. Napoleon claimed to have captured no less than 1,250 cannons from the allied troops, which were then broken down into a veneer of 425 spiraling bass relief bronze plates. Naturally, he told the sculptors to put a statue of himself on top, 44 meters above the ground. Such an edifice did nothing to cure the Napoleon syndrome.
However, as he is often quoted as saying, "Impossible n'est pas Fran*ais" (Nothing is impossible for the French). S.T. Dupont, of the same language and heritage, engraves this quote in the column-inspired design of the limited edition writing instruments. To boost the confidence of the holders while signing their world-changing business deals, whether fountain pen or rollerball, eight hematite stones are planted on the cap.
To reflect the year when the column was erected, the writing instruments and lighters are numbered out of 1810. In Indonesia, only four rollerballs and four lighters from this series are available.
Should you have an allergy to anything that is not the absolute best, then ask to see the 137-year-old brand's elevation version of the Place Vend*me Limited Edition, featuring prestige diamonds. Instead of lacquer, pink solid gold adorns the cornices, two plates on the body, two plates on the narrow sides and two plates on the front of the lighter. Instead of hematites, the objet is set with 192 diamonds of 2.11 carats. The writing instruments are also lifted to the heavenly class with pink solid gold and 160 diamonds of 1.76 carats on the clip, cap ring and body ring. There are only 35 of these numbered products for the whole universe.
Simon Tissot-Dupont was only 25 years old when he founded his dynasty in Paris. He started with leather goods, producing wallets bearing the initials of senior civil servants. The strategy ensured the exclusivity of his creations, before long earning him success among the lofty heights of Parisian society. In 1920, Simon's sons, Andr* and Lucien, widened the range of products to include a variety of one-of-a-kind travel cases. The Dupont brothers supplied their wares to legendary figures such as Maharaja Patiala, Baron Maurice de Rothschild, the Duke of Kent and even the "Duke of Chicago", aka Al Capone.
"Strive for more beauty, for greater luxury" was Lucien Dupont's mantra, encapsulating the euphoria of the era between two world wars, and the creative Art Deco period. Labels such as Cartier and Asprey gave the nod to Dupont's travel cases and placed orders for Paris, London and New York.
But it was in 1941 that Andr* Dupont came up with the idea that really made his family label the enduring legend it is today: He invented the first pocket petrol lighter, thus setting the world of French luxury victoriously ablaze. The famous metallic "cling" has been lighting the world for decades, proving a symbol of status and uncompromising taste. Fathers were the role models for their sons to see that owning a Dupont lighter is a sign of successful manhood.
S.T. Dupont writing instruments came three decades later, and have found themselves cradled in the hands of world leaders. French President Nicolas Sarkozy was presented with the first Pr*sident Fountain Pen, which comes with a 4 GB USB stick attached.
And today you don't have to be half a century old - or a man - to click an S.T. Dupont lighter. Since the launch of the colorful, contemporary cleancut Mini XTEND collection, S.T. Dupont has expanded its market to include fashionable A-list teenagers. The classy, sexy, naval-inspired French Line with a subtle feminine twist, launched in 2007 as a limited edition, is fitting for female executives and leaders.
March 11 this year marked the first anniversary of the S.T. Dupont store in Pacific Place, Jakarta. That the brand has been established in this city for 12 years now is an indication that S.T. Dupont has become an integral part of Jakarta's luxury lifestyle, and will be celebrated on a runway with models carrying the products to match their Jean-Paul Gaultier and Alberta Ferretti outifts.
We "cling" to that.
